OS Grid ref: TM 093547 (Explorer 211).
Access from B1078 Coddenham Road.
Area: 13 hectares
Needham Lake is a popular countryside attraction centred round a
flooded gravel pit alongside the River Gipping close to Needham
Market. The Lake is home for a variety of wildlife with numerous
well-fed ducks around the car park. A walk around the surfaced
lakeside path takes around 20 minutes and gives access for visitors
wishing to explore further.
There are picnic and play areas with many picnic tables dotted
around and plenty of grass for games. There is play equipment for
young children close to the car park whilst slightly
older children can enjoy a new (2010) climbing boulder. A new
orienteering course has been created and can be enjoyed by
families, groups or schools. Course maps can be downloaded by
following the link below
An Ice Cream van is present during the Summer months. Dogs are
welcome but must be kept under control.
Part of the site is a Local Nature Reserve with a wetland area,
meadows managed for wildlife and a small woodland. In Summer you
will see many species of dragonflies and numerous small birds can
be spotted amongst the trees. Look out for the nest boxes found
throughout the site and the tern raft out on the Lake during the
Summer months. Wild flowers are plentiful with pyramidal and bee
orchids easily seen from the paths. The fenced paddocks are grazed
by cattle in the Summer months to help improve the grassland
for wildlife.
A small toilet block and Information Room is present near the
lake where a range of information about the site and surrounding
area can be found. Look out for information on
events and activities
throughout the year. During the school holidays there are
regular children’s activities and storytelling events.
Angling permits for the Lake (both day ticket and club
membership) are available from Bosmere Tackle (Tel: 01449 721808)
in Needham Market High Street and Model Boating permits are
available from MSDC offices.
A leaflet about Needham Lake can be downloaded from the following
link
NeedhamLake information leaflet (PDF,
624Kb)